Shoulder Pain Treatment

Zocor and Shoulder Pain

Can treatment with the anti-cholesterol drug trigger shoulder pain. Zocor or simvastatin as it is sometimes known is one of the most commonly used cholesterol medications in the world.

In general terms zocor is a fairly straightforward drug for most of those who take it but it can trigger joint and muscle pains in some people. The pain caused by zocor is usually quite diffuse in nature but I've had several email questions recently from people with zocor related shoulder pain.

It may be that these people are making heavy use of their shoulder muscles and thus triggering discomfort which is aggravated by zocor. I'm really not sure of the true trigger for the situation.

You should be aware of this however:

Zocor triggers benign low grade joint and muscle pains in maybe around ten percent of those who take it. This includes zocor shoulder pain. These pains are usually transient and easy to cope with.

More rarely, zocor can cause a severe widespread muscle reaction that can lead quite quickly to serious ill health. Your doctor could pick up on this with a simple blood test. If you are concerned then please see your doctor at an early opportunity.

Labels: muscle injury, shoulder pain, zocor

Sandals and lightweight shoes may be comfortable in summer but in many cases they are bad for your feet and can trigger off quite troublesome foot and heel pain.

The most commom problem is a condition called plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation along the bottom surface of the foot of a band of tissue that connects from the ball of the foot to the heel. This band of tissue becomes strained and inflamed and causes pain on the sole of the foot near to the heel.

The strain occurs because your foot muscles are stressed trying to keep the shoes on. It's worse in shoes that are flexible, with no support in the midshaft, and in shoes that are perfectly flat, with no heel elevation.

There's good evidence that having a shoe with a slight heel can take some of the strain off the foot.

There are several different ways to treat plantar fasciitis - some specialists recommend foot stretches, some special insoles and some doctors use injections.

But the best advice for summer is to limit the amount of time you spend in flip-flops. Doctors say they're not good for long walks, or for exercise.

Labels: arthritis, foot pain, heel pain, joint pain, muscle injury

The rotator cuff are the group of muscles that surround the shoulder and help to keep it stable and strong during movement.

These muscles can often become a source of pain - either due to inflammation or to tearing in the muscle fibres or in the muscle tendons that join the muscles to the bone.

Recovery from rotator cuff pain can be a long process - and you may receive a bewildering range of advice along the way.

Check out this great Guide to Rotator Cuff Injury - written by tennis pro Brent Abel. It's a comprehensive overview of the nature of the problem and of the available treatments.

Labels: joint pain, muscle injury, shoulder pain